I move:—
"That Deputy Pádraig O hOgáin (An Clár) be appointed Leas-Cheann Comhairle."
I move this motion because I consider that Deputy Hogan is a suitable person to fill this important position. He is a man who has had four years' experience in this House. Before he entered this House he had been, and is still, connected with several public bodies and he has served on committees of this Dáil. In addition to his experience he is a man, in my opinion, of tact and ability and sound judgment and eminently suitable in that way to fill the Chair. I may mention, too, that on a few occasions, being on the panel nominated by An Ceann Comhairle in the Fourth Dáil, he has occupied the Chair already. He has the further very important qualification, important especially in this Dáil, that he is a competent speaker of the Irish language.
Deputies who were in the last Dáil will probably remember that I raised an objection to a proposal made with regard to the position of Leas-Cheann Comhairle and that I went so far as to divide the House on the matter because I thought a knowledge of the Irish language was a very important qualification. In fact, I would consider no Deputy qualified to occupy the position who was not able to take charge of a debate even if it were wholly conducted in the Irish language. I am in a position to say that the Deputy I am proposing has that qualification, a fact, no doubt, well known to all Deputies in the House.
I would like to say that I am putting forward this nomination not as a party nomination. We are not nominating Deputy Hogan for the reason only, that he happens to be a member of the Party to which I belong. And above all I would like to say this: In putting him forward we hope to get no party advantage out of the appointment, because we recognise, fully, that the person occupying the position of Leas-Cheann Comhairle, just as the person who occupies the position of Ceann Comhairle, is the servant of the House and must give that service while he is in the Chair impartially to every party and to every individual.
No doubt the position of Deputy Chairman is somewhat different to that of the Ceann Comhairle in that the Deputy Chairman continues to maintain his party and possibly speak on behalf of his party in debate when he is not in the Chair. But I should like it to be recognised that once he leaves these benches and takes the Chair he leaves his party affiliations behind him. That is what we understand, in any case, in regard to the duties of the person who occupies this position. I go further and say that if it should happen that he is called upon to cast a vote while in the Chair we recognise fully, and I think the House should recognise, that any such vote must be cast not in accordance with any party affiliations he may have when outside the Chair but with certain well defined principles that govern the conduct of the person who occupies the Chair.
If it happens that such a vote may fall on the side that his Party may be supporting for the time being, it will not be, or it ought not to be, open to anybody to say that he was influenced in any way in giving his vote by the fact that his Party was supporting that particular point of view, just as I would say on behalf of the Party to which he belongs, that if his vote happened to be contrary to their view it would not be a matter of discussion in our Party in any way as to the manner in which he gave his vote. It would not be a proper matter to discuss or challenge the vote he gave. It may be advisable perhaps to make this clear and to make it quite definite that whoever is in the Chair, whether the Ceann Comhairle or the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, is one who is and must be the servant of the House irrespective of Parties or whatever views he may hold. I believe Deputy Pádraic O hOgáin is a suitable candidate. I believe he will fill the Chair with tact and ability. I am proposing him entirely on his merits and I believe that if the House elects him to that position he will give satisfaction to every member.
